The Uchiha spare
by Narsha
Summary: She was Sasuke-Sama's shadow, sword and shield. If he tells her to fight, she fights. If he tells her to kill, she kills. And when he'll need her Sharingan, she will be honored to gouge her eyes out. Such is the oath sealed in Uchiha Yanagi the day the second heir to the clan was born. Is that why she wasn't killed with the others, or is there another secret around the Masacre ?
1. Chapter 1

I was only 3 when I understood we wouldn't be living peacefully near Neko-baa's shop. Well, understanding is more a grown-up things. But deep down, I knew something had changed. I couldn't tell if it was for the better. It had something to do with the new baby in the main family. We had been invited to welcome the new addition inside the clan. I had never been invited to these things before. After I was born, Mother had been to sick to travel. Since she died, Father had been unable to move from the house.

This summer, Shisui-Nii showed up with his new friend, and suddenly we were on the move. They just showed up with two clan guards and an Elder, leaving us inside the house. I had been drawing picture in the kitchen when they knocked at the door. With a simple gesture from Father, my pictures looked like silly doodles and not like the precise rendition of the plants I had gotten from the yard.

The neighbors had once remarked that kids drawing should be colorful and imaginative, and not minutious representation of plants or animals. Father didn't mind me, though. He'd even encourage me to go inside the town look at people and use my memory to draw people's faces. He'd sometimes tell me there were secrets he had hidden in the town, and I was supposed to find them.

I had no idea 3 year olds weren't supposed to climb at everything, while being supervised by cats. I had no idea how proper a girl from the Uchiha clan should be. The only vague things I knew about the clan is that they kept Brother away from us. And the only thing I knew about being proper, is that you should welcome people in your house, even though you didn't want to.

I looked at Uchiha Itachi : my looked gloomy and thin. His black eyes made him look like he wasn't totally there. Father had this look in his eyes sometimes, like really focused, but far away at the same time. I didn't like him. He didn't look mean or anything. More like boredom made human.

"Wanna see the house ?" I asked the boy politely.

The absence of smile on my face made Brother twitch. I knew that brow-knitting thing. Father and I had the same when we were either angry or distressed. I saw him mouth the words :'bow to the heir'. I forced my lips to stretch. It felt wrong to smile when I wasn't even happy. I bowed low and left my eyes to wander on the ground.

"I'm Uchiha Yanagi," I said, then added quickly when Shisui twitched again : "Nice to meet you ?"

I thought I saw the beginning of a move with the heir, but nothing happened.

"You're Shisui's sister," he just said.

I shrugged. Nothing new under the sun. I looked into his eyes, expecting something more. A brief expression of surprise flickered on his face, before Shisui-Nii's hand weighed downon my shoulder in warning..

"You said she was cute" the boy said suddenly.

I crossed my arms and looked away, annoyed. What was that supposed to mean ? I was about to retort when Shisui's fingers dug in my shoulders, pining me in place. Brother wasn't that physical usually. What was the big deal with that boy ? Why could he be rude, and I couldn't ? So unfair !

"But she is, isn't she ?" Shisui-Nii replied with his warm voice.

He ruffled my hair in affection. He frowned when he found a dead spider in it. I looked at the tiny corpse, noting the interesting green stripes on her hairy body. I'll have to ask Denka-Chan about this species. If it was too aggressive, it might bother some of the tiny ones that made large webs. It was very interesting to sprinkle their threads with water and see it shine in the darkness.

"Seriously, where have you crawled this time?" Shisui-Nii sighed.

"The tunnels."

There was a pause and I felt his body shaking slightly as his smile widened.

"Was Father with you?"

"Of course not. He said I needed to go out. The cats were there, though."

"I see." he just said.

I looked at the other boy, and then Brother again.

"So, who's that guy?" I asked.

"You're not supposed to talk…!" Shisui-Nii started.

"I'm Uchiha Itachi" he said and bowed with a little angle. Just borderline polite. Was I underneath this guy or was he trying to annoy me ?

"Itachi-Sama please apologize her rudeness, but…"

"So… Wanna see the house?" He blinked. Nothing filtered through his eyes. "Hum… Is there anything you'd like to do, then?"

"Yanagi… You have to be polite!"

I cocked my head to the side, wondering why. The heir looked at me for real, as if he was seeing me for the first time.

"It's… It's how things should be. He's the heir to the clan, you have to respect him."

"I respect him I just don't see why I'd have to bow low and such. Father says respect is earned. I just met him."

There was a newfound spark of interest in Itachi-San's eyes.

"You're different," he said softly.

"Thanks," I said, and the shadow of a real smile floated on my mouth.

"You two better not act that way in front of the Elder…" Shisui-Nii groaned.

"I believe you mentioned cats?" Itachi-San inquired.

"Oh, yes! It's Nekobaa's ninja cats. They're my friends."

My only friends, really. The town had been abandoned during the Third Shinobi War, and not many people had returned. The streets were mostly populated with yakuza and some rare merchants. Father and Mother might have been the only ninjas around here.

"You're friends with cats. Not really fond of humans, I suppose?"

"Have you seen anyone else around here, Itachi-San?" I deadpanned.

"I don't know, you tell me."

Shisui-Nii gaped at the other boy slightly, but regained his composure when two pair of eyes looked at him. The hair raised a brow.

"I… I never knew you could tease someone else, Itachi-Sama"

It seemed like a big deal. I looked quizzically at the heir, who merely raised a brow. As if he was telling me something I could not understand. It was frustrating! I looked away.

"A...anyways, now that the presentations are done, we should get to know one another. Since you're going on a trip with us little sister!"

Shisui-Nii beamed at me, and I felt warm all over. I loved being with him. And even though there was this shady Itachi-Sama with us for no reason, that was okay.

"A trip, to where ?" I perked up.

"We're going to Konoha. My mother is having a baby, and you're the last Uchiha with pureblood lineage that is unbound." Itachi-San said.

Huh? Pureblood lineage ?Unbound ? Could he like just… explain this stuff or something ?

"You know that our grandfather was Uchiha Madara, right ? Well, he is also Itachi-Sama's great-grandfather. Traditionally, the Uchiha heirs get a chosen partner from the clan to train with. I was selected thanks to our lineage to be Itachi-Sama's partner."

"So that means I'm going to be the same as you two…? With his little brother?"

"Yes. That's a great honor." Shisui-Nii said.

My brows knitted together. I felt like something was being left unsaid here. Something was fishy here. Why me ? Why now ? Shisui-Nii was in the Academy when he got chosen.

"There is another candidate," Itachi-San informed me. "You will be competing against them."

"Competing? But…" Brother pinched me on the waist. I bowed, hands joined. "It would be my honor."

At that moment, I had no idea what would be my new duty regarding Uchiha Sasuke. I had no idea that I would soon become an Uchiha spare.

* * *

_salut c'est Narsha!_

_So, I have been trying to write the next chapters of Will o' the_ wisp_ for years, and even rewrote the beginning (I was at 100 pages!), before I noticed that I couldn't find Yanagi's character interesting. I kept doing flashbacks to explain her reactions and rushing the story at the same time. Now, I understand that the biggest issue was that the character was just angsty and unstable. Why ? Because I thought I could just stick a sidestory to the original one and be done with it._

_The other issue was that I tried to apply all my scenario classes to my stories, and it just bound me something awful! So I will try to write this story more freely and let it grow the way it wants to grow._

_I hope you'll accompany me in this adventure._


	2. Chapter 2

I folded my hands on my lap, Shisui had forced me inside a cute yukata and forcefully brushed my hair. Itachi-Sama had politely waited during the entire operation. There was laughter in his eyes. The yukata was a bit too long, and I was walking on the hemline, even though I gained about an inch with my getas. I liked the feeling of the white cotton on my skin, but the long sleeves weren't practical. I felt too stiff to run around with cats and crawl inside the streets.

Father always ruffled my hair, saying that I wasn't your usual 3 years old.

I probably wasn't.

I couldn't help but fidget under the Elder's gaze. My gaze was down back to my hands. I wasn't supposed to look at him in the eye. He was an Elder, Shisui had said. I couldn't speak if he didn't tell me to. Instead, my eyes were on my hands and knees, listening the adults talking about me.

Right now, Elder Ryûjin's glare was on me. I felt his dislike seeping through my bones.

"She looks a lot like her mother." he finally said. "Olive skin, curly hair, grey eyes… These are not Uchiha traits."

I stiffened, trying very hard to look at the big red flowers on my clothes. I didn't know I had to look a certain way. It was true that all the Uchiha had black hair, black eyes and ivory skin. But I didn't think my appearance was something to be criticized.

"Her mother wasn't from the main family, but Uchiha blood ran in her veins." Father interjected.

"Of course ! We wouldn't let a medic from another clan near one of us!" the other man haughtily said.

Father's hands twitched slightly. He didn't like what the man was telling him. Why was the Elder acting like he was the boss ? Was it because he was older than Father ? My Father was a war hero from the 2nd Shinobi war. He had been injured since, and his injuries got worse in the 3rd. What had the old man done ? Why did he have so much power ?

My eyes looked briefly on the side, lockin with Itachi-San's. Black eyes, white skin, perfect straight back hair framing his face. I gritted my teeth. Why was it so different to be me ?

"And what a raggedy appearance she has. Straighten your back, girl!"

His voice snapped. My spine made a small popping sound as I forced my shoulders up. I was always curled up on my little experiences when I worked, be it a collage of fallen leaves or the observation of tiny insects on the ground. Father never said anything about it.

A pout threatened to bloom on my lips. My mouth quivered as I forced myself to keep a neutral expression. The Elder huffed, examining me as if he would some dirt under the sole of his sandals. I fixed my eyes on the floor. I wouldn't look elsewhere.

"Well, there's no point in looking at this child any longer. If she is as gifted as you paint her in your letters to Mikoto-Sama, she should do fine."

"These letters were private!"

The words escaped Father before he could help himself. Immediately after, he bowed in front of the old man, shoulders squared. Shisui-Nii shifted uncomfortably on his seat.

"Please excuse my rudeness, Elder."

The sight of him bowing to a man with a mean gleam in his eyes made my insides churn. What was happening here? Why was he so mean? Why were adults so mean to one another ? It was so unfair.

Elder Ryujin clapped his hands, making me jump. My legs felt like lead underneath me.

"Now that this formality is settled, we have a commercial deal to keep. I wouldn't like to make our partners wait. Itachi-Dono, you are to observe this meeting with the utmost attention : business dealings are important to the leader of the Uchiha clan."

"I am honored to be taught these matters by someone as knowledgeable as you." the boy replied softly.

The Elder's chest was filled with pride. But the only thing I was thinking, was that these people were snakes. And I didn't like it. We followed the Elder outside in Sora-Ku's streets. Shisui-Nii was holding my hand, but it was more because I tried to follow a friendly cat twice than to reassure me.

The old city had been abandoned during the 3rd Shinobi war. There had been a few fights here, but even when Iwa ninjas invaded the Land of Fire, Sora-Ku hadn't been a strategic place. With a steady voice, the Elder taught the boys and I listened. During the fights, because it was far from the battlefield, Konoha had settled a hospital in the town. When the battle ceased, so did the activity here. Not many civilians had stayed then, and a very few returned to their homes. Left to rot, some groups had settled a black market around here;

They didn't know the place was already owned by one of the best smuggler there was : Nebo-baa. Or rather that the Uchiha clan had a really clever idea in offering the abandoned city to their summoned allies : the cats. By giving them a place of their own in this realm, the Uchiha Clan gained a lot of weight during the war, especially for reconnaissance and spying missions.

Shisui-Nii looked at the sign above the main entrance to the Cat's House.

"It's not because it says 'Abandonned' that it really is." I said to reassure him.

"Already reading?" he asked with a low whistle.

"Not yet… But I recognise a lot of kanjis now. Almost 5000!"

"And you're _counting_ too?"

He sounded impressed. I looked at Father for a clue but he was in a deep conversation with Elder Ryujin, apparently teaching Itachi-San. A glance of the heir in our direction proved how well he was actually following the lesson. Shisui-Nii's elbow connected with my stomach the moment I snorted, changing it in a dry cough. I swallowed huge gulps of stifling air to calm myself. It took a while and a glare from the old man to finally settle down.

We crawled inside the tunnels. I couldn't hear the soft tiptoe of the cats above the noise we were making. Focusing on my walk with these loud wooden shoes, I almost missed this incongruous detail : Father made no sound when he Elder and the boy's sounds were muffled a bit, making Uchiha Kagami's silence deafening. But compared to all of them, the ruckus I was making unnerved me.

I pulled Brother's sleeve.

"I can't walk in this!" I admitted, my face hot with embarrassment.

I thought he would laugh at my face, just like the other times I told him I couldn't do stuff. But today, he just squeezed my arm gently and told me to bear with it a little longer. I didn't know what to make of his reaction. If it was supposed to reassure me, it didn't worked.

"All the tunnels looked the same." Itachi-san noted at one point, still following the adults.

"Actually they don't." I shook my head.

"Genjutsu ?" he asked, but quickly added at my puzzled expression "An illusion created with chakra."

I looked at the shadows that had been following our group for a while.

"Is that what it is ?" I asked. This was probably Denka or Hina.

"Everything is an illusion to the eye of the unobservant, Little Fire." the shadow replied.

Two feline figures jumped in front of our group.

"I see that the Uchiha have returned for the annual deal." one said. "Follow us to Neko-baa. It's this way."

"Thank you nekonin-san" Elder Ryujin said with a simple nod.

"We heard you were taking the Little Fire and the Sick Man in a journey." the other asked with curiosity. "Why go?"

"Our leader has had another son. We are to meet him." Father explained as we resumed our walk.

"This sounds like you will be gone a while." a cat commented. "This is unfortunate. We liked having you and your kitten here."

"All will depend on the Clan's decision."

"Just like they decided to leave you and the other human here."

My head was spinning. What were they saying. We would be leaving a while ? What was a while ? A day ? A week ? A month ? It sounded that 'a while' was more than a lot of time. I thought it was just something to see if the new baby wanted to be my friend, or something like that.

I wasn't sure I liked this new development.

"This is unfortunate." a cat said near me, making me and Shisui-Nii jump. Itachi-San didn't seem bothered the least by the leaping animals. What was he ? Some sort of puppet ?

"It is a great honor" I said dumbly. When the cat stared at me I added : "I think?"

"There will be less catnip for us, then."

His sentence floated in the air, as if there was supposed to be something more to it.

Neko-Baa's room was filled with all sorts of trinkets looking like cats : pots, jars, clocks, cloths, cushions...Surrounded by a herd of cats, ninja or not, an old woman with pointed ears and whiskers was cradling a baby girl. I knew that in the other room laid the woman that used to be super fat, and then there was a baby. I held her a few times. She was heavy.

As Shisui-Nii and Itachi-San were crouching to see the cats, both Father and the Elder sat down near the old woman. They spoke in hushed voice. I saw the man giving Neko-Baa a handful of gleaming stones. A cat rubbing against my leg distracted me.

"Come on Little Fire, if you really have to go…"

My face scrunched up in sadness as I realized that I had to leave all my cat friends here.

"... then the cats will come to you."

* * *

_Salut fidèles lecteurs!_

_I finally found some time to write between all my class and work projects!_

_I hope you enjoyed reading it!_

As always, please leave a review : it's always good to know what you liked or not :)


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